The present invention is directed to medical device accessories generally, and more specifically to accessories for laryngoscope blades.
Existing laryngoscope blades suffer from one or more of several existing deficiencies. Existing laryngoscopes require medical personnel to use the laryngoscope blade to move and hold the patient's tongue to one side during intubation. It can be difficult to hold the tongue to the side due to the presence of liquid in the mouth, including saliva or blood, which can cause the tongue to become slippery. Liquid in the mouth can also increase the difficulty in performing endotracheal intubation as the liquid may obstruct medical professionals' view of the vocal chords, prolonging the intubation process or preventing it altogether. Further, laryngoscope blades can also be damaging to patients' mouths, with the blade coming in contact with teeth or soft mouth tissue.
It may be advantageous to provide a method of properly configuring a patient for airway tube insertion, to provide an accessory for laryngoscopes, to provide a laryngoscope, or to provide a combination laryngoscope and accessory which: can be detachably affixed to a portion of the laryngoscope blade to provide an absorbent cover which increases grip and decreases moisture between the blade and a patient's tongue; that includes a vacuum element to remove liquid from the mouth without necessitating a large section of absorbency; which may be held to the laryngoscope blade by adhesive; which may use suction tubing as part of a safety retention device; which can be used with existing laryngoscopes, that is efficient to manufacture; and/or which results in greater patient care.